Monday, January 13, 2014

I Am That Man

We’re deep
in the middle of January 2014 and I’m already behind.

Am I the
only one who feels that way? Am I the only one who’s late on responding to
emails…and phone calls…and has this ever-growing list of undone chores at work
and at home? It’s bad. I feel like I’m behind on everything. I mean, I’ve been talking
about washing “Lil Red” (my ‘97 Ford Ranger pickup) since Thanksgiving. I may
as well just re-name it “Lil’ Gray” at this point.

And all of the
joy from the holidays has been snuffed out or deafened by the cry of guilt I
feel from leaving so many things left undone.

And there
seems to be no end in sight.

I’ve
recently asked my admin Lori to help me get some of this monster under control—and
help me schedule as much of my world as possible. I hope it helps, but I know
myself too well…and I don’t have the best track record, when it comes to transformation
and change.

But I want
to change.

I want to be…as
Jim Burgen’s teaching in the “I Am That Man” series over the last couple of
weeks…“a common man with an uncommon
desire to succeed.” I want to succeed at home as a husband and father and
(recent) grandfather…I want to succeed in my relationships with the people God
has put along my path…and I want to succeed at flatirons as the men’s pastor.

The truth is…my
success in those areas all rises and falls on whether I have an uncommon desire to succeed in my relationship
with Christ. It’s been sobering listening to Jim talk about this—pointing out
my failures in putting Jesus first in my life. I know this is true, but so
often (and I’m sure I’m not alone) that growing list of things to do gets in
the way of what should be at the very top of the list: Jesus.

So I’m going
to succeed this year…and I want/need you to hold me accountable to this. I want
to follow what Paul writes about in Romans 12:1-2 when he writes,

“I appeal to you
therefore, brothers,by the mercies of God,to present your bodiesas a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to
this world,but be transformed bythe renewal of your mind, that by testing you maydiscern what is the will of God, what
is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Emphasis
mine)

I need to change (transform), but the only way that change can
happen is if I no longer cling to my bad habits (conform). And the only way I
can transform is by renewing my mind…which comes from walking closely to Jesus…and
reading, studying, mulling over His word.

So, in this New
Year…2014…I’m committing myself to reading through the entire Bible again—something
I haven’t done in a couple of years. I’ve done it in the past, but I slacked
off in the last couple of years. I’ve let other stuff get in the way.

And hopefully,
by this time next year, if you ask me, “Are
you that guy who read through his Bible last year…who drew closer to God
through his study…and was transformed and renewed?” I’ll be able to say…